Wales' resident joker Bradley Davies has found a new sparring partner in Rob Evans, even serenading him with a love song at the post-match function after the draw with Ireland.

Lock Davies has taken the prop under his wing after rooming with the Test rookie in Dublin and already has tales to tell.

For Evans has already fallen for one of the comic’s trademark wind-ups, after big Brad turned up his nose at the smell allegedly coming from the tight-head’s playing boots when they checked into their hotel room.

“He was a good room-mate, although the first day we got to Ireland, he had stinking boots,” quipped Davies,

“So I made him go and put his boots on the radiator in reception – that was the first learning curve! I nearly flipped him, but he went downstairs and did it.

Rob Evans wraps up Jonathan Sexton (Image: PA Wire)

“I think he might take over the practical joker role from me! Rob is a character off the field, which I quite like myself.

“It is strange because normally not many of the Scarlets boys have much banter about them, but he has got a bit, very similar to myself, in that mould as a bit of a joker,” laughed the 29-year-old Wasps ace.

“He plays rugby with a smile on his face and, for me, that’s what got me through some dark times. We are together for long periods of time and you can’t be serious all the time.

“I didn’t think he looked out of place at the weekend, I thought he was awesome in what was one of his first big starts.

“He has got to take confidence from that. He trains well, is a fit bloke, he is going to be awesome for the future.”

With bruiser Brad, there’s invariably a nugget of a story hiding beneath the surface and he duly served one up about his Wales debut, against Scotland at Murrayfield in 2009 and the song that followed.

“I actually came on for Shane Williams,” he said.

Wales’ record try-scorer was 5ft 7in, 12st 8lb, played on the wing, was razor-sharp and could turn on a 20p pence, Davies is 6ft 6in, 19st 4lb, packs down in the boilerhouse, is slow and cumbersome on the turn.

“I was going to come on for one of the second-rows but Martyn Williams was in the sin-bin and Shane got injured,” recalled the former Cardiff Blues enforcer.

But his fears about being marooned and exposed on the wing proved to be short-lived, much to his relief.

“Fortunately, I went into the forwards with Andy Powell going out into the backs,” he said.

Davies celebrated his debut by blasting out another of his favourite songs. “It was my version of ‘Walking in Memphis’ and I crumbled a bit under pressure,” he quipped.

Wales’ team flight home from Dublin was affected by Storm Imogen with Davies saying: “It was a shaky flight but the pilot was on fire – he landed to a big cheer.”

The Llantrisant product has been a key member of Dai Young’s Wasps team which has reached the quarter-finals of Europe’s Champions Cup and came so close to beating three-in-a-row holders Toulon in the south of France.

And he cheekily put that defeat down to top referee Nigel Owens, joking: “Nigel missed a knock-on I reckon ... but he still thinks he didn’t!

“It was brutal in Toulon but a good measure of us – we were within 10 seconds of the beating the European champions on their own patch.”

Davies is determined to make every second count of his rugby career after overcoming a dislocated ankle, dislocated shoulder and a hamstring torn off the bone in recent years and hopes to play a part against Scotland in Cardiff on Saturday.

“I have 50 caps now, but I have probably missed 50 games worth. You don’t really miss rugby until you are not playing,” he said.

“I was one of those who complained about training and the grind of it, but until you have a big injury and it takes rugby away from you and you are sitting in that gym at eight in the morning on your own doing rehab, you are thinking, ‘I can’t wait to get back onto that field’.

“You never know with Wales, it could be your last game today or tomorrow, you have got to enjoy every second you are here and that’s what I am doing at the moment.

“If I get a chance to play, happy days, if not I will support the boys who are playing and hopefully develop a winning Welsh squad.”